In the trucking industry, insulated bulkheads are commonly used to partition trucks into separate compartments which are maintained at different temperatures. The present invention relates to an improved bulkhead assembly and is particularly characterized by the provision of a counterbalance mechanism which facilitates the manipulation of the bulkhead.
In the past, the manipulation of bulkheads has involved considerable difficulty, particularly when the truck is to be loaded or unloaded. The usual practice is to manually move the bulkhead to an appropriate position so that it does not block access to the interior of the truck during loading and unloading. In view of the bulkhead's large size and its awkward configuration, the physical efford required to handle the bulkhead in this manner can be readily appreciated. Also, since the bulkhead must fit tightly against the truck walls, considerable interference is presented when the bulkhead is being longitudinally repositioned within the truck in order to vary the size of the compartments. Finally, total manual handling of the bulkhead may be further undesirable because the vigorous effort sometimes needed to finally locate same may result in damage to either the cargo or the bulkhead, or both.
In view of the foregoing, it is a primary goal of the present invention to provide an improved bulkhead assembly in which ease of bulkhead manipulation is greatly facilitated over known prior art assemblies.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide a unique bulkhead assembly that includes a pivotally mounted bulkhead for partitioning a carrier vehicle and a counterbalance mechanism for pivoting the bulkhead upwardly to permit loading and unloading of the vehicle. It is an important feature of the invention that the bulkhead is raised without requiring substantial manual effort and that it is firmly retained in its raised position for as long as desired.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bulkhead assembly that does not interfere with the cargo-carrying capacity of the vehicle and which is easily moved in a longitudinal fashion within the vehicle.
In conjunction with the preceding object, it is a further aim of the invention to provide a bulkhead assembly in which the bulkhead may be quickly and easily moved to any desired longitudinal position. This important feature is achieved by the provision of trolleys which are uniquely adapted to move differentially in order to break the seal of the bulkhead against the vehicle walls, thereby facilitating the relocation of the bulkhead.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a bulkhead assembly that is easily installed and in which the counterbalance mechanism may be incorporated into existing bulkhead installations.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a uniquely constructed bulkhead assembly of the character described which is rugged yet economical and which is easily accessible for inspection and maintenance.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.